• Category 2

    Selected in 2017

  • Grades: 1 - 3
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 17,022
    Student Enrollment: 311
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 6%
    White/Caucasian: 84.4%
    Hispanic: 2.7%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 1.8%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 5.1%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:21
    % Reduced Lunch: 59.2%
    % ELL Learners: 0%
    Founded: 1954
  • PRINCIPAL:
    jenifer Richardson
  • CONTACT:
    3297 Oak Grove Road
    Poplar Bluff, MO 63901
    573-785-6589
    jeniferrichardson@pb.k12.mo.us
Oak Grove Elementary School
Poplar Bluff, MO
The implementation of PBIS reduced negative behaviors, which allowed teachers more time to focus on instruction in the classroom.
Describe specific programs in place to ensure that families are involved in the success of your school and students.
Oak Grove has an active PTO. The PTO performs a variety of duties through out the year. At the beginning of the year, we make available a PTO volunteer information packet. In this packet, we list all of the upcoming events at Oak Grove for the school year. A meeting is held for any friends, family or community members that would like to be involved. Parents, friends, and community members have the opportunity on this evening to sign up for specific events or activities in which they would like to participate. A few examples of the activities and events families and friends can be involved in include: monthly PBIS celebrations, PBIS S.T.A.R. store, chili supper, field days, classroom holiday parties, Jingle Jog, fundraisers, student of the month luncheons, school picture day, Book Fair, Open House and the Lunch Buddy Program.
Describe the most successful activity your school has initiated to strengthen ties to your community.
Through the Bright Futures program we have partnered with individuals from local businesses, churches, and community members, along with our PTO, allowing us to be able to extend our school into the community of Poplar Bluff. The Site Council is involved with planning and volunteering with on-going activities that take place in our building throughout the year such as Open House, PBIS monthly celebrations and S.T.A.R. Store, student of the month luncheons, student and staff Thanksgiving Feast , Jingle Jog, and our end of the year field day. The Site Council also focuses on meeting the needs of students and their families that may arise during the year. .

For those that are unable to volunteer or participate in our school wide activities, we are able to interact with our community through social media. We keep parents, family members, friends, and community members informed of what is happening in our school through posts on our school social media page and school website.
What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?
Our goal for next year is to refine our RTI structure and continue to close the achievement gap by meeting the individual needs of each student. We will also continue to build relationships and maintain a positive school.

What is the single most important factor in the success of your school that others could replicate?
The PLC and PBIS Initiative has been a key factor in the success of our building. PBIS laid the foundation for establishing a positive learning environment and culture for our staff and students. The implementation of PBIS reduced negative behaviors, which allowed teachers more time to focus on instruction in the classroom. Once PBIS was in place, we then focused on PLC. Through PLC, we were able to create a building mission, vision, and goals. We also created team norms, established team roles, defined what collaboration would look like among our teams, and created an agenda template that was structured and focused on DuFour’s 4 Corollary Questions. Over time, a shared leadership has developed among the teams. As collaborative meetings began to develop, it became evident that collaborative discussions and teamwork were present. Once teams began to work together as a PLC, we began to see gains and the value of working together as a collaborative team.
Describe the program or initiative that has had the greatest positive effect on student achievement, including closing achievement or opportunity gaps, if applicable.
With the implementation of PBIS, we were able to establish
consistency in how we approached students in addressing both positive and negative behaviors. Once we were able to manage student behaviors in a more positive and effective way, it allowed for more instructional time in the classroom. The PLC initiative has allowed us to restructure our teaching practices in a collaborative effort. Our building has developed a shared leadership among our learning communities. Through the PLC process we have created a mission, vision, and S.M.A.R.T. goals, learned how to more effectively use our data to facilitate collaborative discussions and maximize our teaching resources to identify ways we can close the achievement gap. We have learned to work together as a team to brainstorm solutions for roadblocks that we encounter along our path, rather than make excuses for why some things can’t happen. Every staff member is considered a key component to the success of our students














Explain how Title I funds are used to support your improvement efforts.
Our Title 1 funds are allocated to the salaries of our intervention teachers. The intervention teachers have helped in closing the achievement gap of many students. The intervention teachers have also been an additional support to classroom teachers within our RTI structure. This year, funds have also been used to purchase two chrome carts to enhance learning opportunities for our students.
Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.
Professional Development is a key component to improving teaching and student learning. District-wide trainings have included ELO training, unpacking the standards, and Capturing Kids Hearts. At the building level, we have focused on the writing of Common Formative Assessments, data analysis, book studies that focus on Research Based Instructional Strategies, culture and climate, and the PLC Process. Vertical Teaming continues to be a focus as we continue to evaluate our data and identify the gaps and needs across the grade levels. At the building level we, are given the flexibility to plan our professional development based on the needs of our staff and students.
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
Data is used on a weekly basis to drive decisions about instruction, and identify any changes that need to be made to meet the needs of each student. The PLC teams use DuFour’s 4 Corollary Questions to create weekly team agendas that drive collaborative discussions. Data from the current and previous year is used to identify learning gaps and necessary changes to CFA's. Pre, mid, and post assessments are used to guide instruction and create small groups for intervention, re-teaching and enrichment groups. Staff identify common student mis-conceptions and collaborate about best practices and instructional strategies when analyzing data for intervention, re-teaching and identifying proficiency on the skill. As a building we use Benchmark Assessments such as i-Ready on-line assessment tool, RIGBY, Common Formative Assessments, and Unit Assessments. We also use standards based grade reporting, which allows us to break down specific skills for each content area.
Stats
  • Category 2

    Selected in 2017

  • Grades: 1 - 3
    School Setting: rural
    Town Population: 17,022
    Student Enrollment: 311
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 6%
    White/Caucasian: 84.4%
    Hispanic: 2.7%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 1.8%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 5.1%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:21
    % Reduced Lunch: 59.2%
    % ELL Learners: 0%
    Founded: 1954
  • PRINCIPAL:
    jenifer Richardson
  • CONTACT:
    3297 Oak Grove Road
    Poplar Bluff, MO 63901
    573-785-6589
    jeniferrichardson@pb.k12.mo.us